"He's gone to the funeral of every soldier who's come home from Iraq in a casket"

[Control-Z]

Teddy Kennedy, of course.

"He's gone to the funeral of every soldier who's come home from Iraq in a casket, whether it's up in Massachusetts or at Arlington Cemetery. And it's hard. But he knows it pays respect for giving the last full measure that these young soldiers have given. And after he goes to that funeral, he goes up and visits the graves of his brothers," according to long-time Kennedy aide...http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/08/26/national/main5267991_page4.shtml">read more

I've never cried over a public figure before last night when I heard the news about Teddy Kennedy's passing. And the more I hear, the more I cry. He was a great man. Greater than most of us probably ever imagined. It is gratifying to know that the families of our fallen soldiers may have taken at least a small amount of comfort in the Senator's presence at their loved ones funeral. A kind an loving gesture. A kind and loving man.

[Ken Burch]

1. Wow. I didn't know that.

Another reason to mourn the man.

Did Dubya go to ANY of the funerals? If so, did he actually bother to learn any of the fallen soldiers' names?(remember, he kept calling Cindy Sheehan's son Casey "the loved one").

[Control-Z]

8. My exact thoughts -

but it made me so angry I had to let it go, for now.

[AndyA]

9. Considering that George Bush isn't even 0.5% the man Ted Kennedy was,

you really have to lower the bar to make any comparison between the two.

George Bush is a tiny, pathetic, little man. A poor excuse for a human being.

Ted Kennedy was a man with a big heart, full of compassion and love for others. He spent his life trying to help others, instead of just taking, taking, taking like the Bush Family does.

Huge difference. Really, impossible to compare the two other than for their stunning differences.

[madamesilverspurs]

42. George Bush isn't even half the man

Laura is.

[VPStoltz]

44. The Shrub never went to even ONE because he said he would be a distraction.

Like anyone would even notice that little insignificant asterisk.

[Control-Z]

47. True. Though, the biggest reason(s)

for not attending, was to hide the number of casualties coming home in a casket from his illegal war, and because the man pos could not have cared less. Really. The war never touched him, his family, or his cronies, so he had no reason to be bothered.

[create.peace]

2. melida and carlos sent out a letter to us camp casey folk and this is pretty much it:

http://www.wbur.org/2009/08/26/kennedy-uphams-corner

BOSTON — At 10 a.m. Wednesday morning, a quiet announcement floated through the corridors of the Upham’s Corner Health Center.

“If you would like to join us in lowering the flag to half staff, please meet in front of the building. Thank you.”

More than 100 doctors, nurses, therapists and patients poured out to the front of the Columbia Road clinic. Pink and blue scrubs surrounded the flagpole as operations manager Melida Arredondo began to speak.

“It is fair to say that without the senator’s legislation and all the work he did in the Senate, none of us would be here today,” Arredondo said. “It was his legislation that created community health centers. And for that we honor and remember Sen. Ted Kennedy, the lionhearted Democrat from Massachusetts.”

Arredondo and a colleague unclipped the line and lowered the flag to half-staff. “OK, right there,” she said.

more at link

[FourScore]

55. create.peace, this deserves it's own OP.

Please consider posting it.

thanks.

[create.peace]

64. Okay, will do.nt

[create.peace]

67. i did, it seems to be dying a quick death! we'll see, nt

[defendandprotect]

61. misplaced --

[create.peace]

63. only if you didn't got to the link and read it....nt

[defendandprotect]

65. As I said . . .

I posted something on this thread which was "misplaced" . . .

it was a response to an entirely OTHER thread.

[create.peace]

66. as i said? you see i thought you were telling me my link was misplaced, sorry.

[defendandprotect]

68. Funny . . . !!!

You know in this case, I was actually on the wrong thread somehow!

But, sometimes, I want to respond to the author of the thread and I end up
responding to someone else on the thread.

So -- then I say "misplaced" --

sometimes "dupe" . . .

All my errors --



:)

Just a PS to say this is an interesting thread and I think there is much great stuff
about Teddy that many of us don't know!

[create.peace]

69. my friends, carlos and melida, had talked about him so kindly....nt

[Beaverhausen]

3. I believe it's every soldier from Mass. Still, that is amazing

[Control-Z]

6. From the article:

"whether it's up in Massachusetts or at Arlington Cemetery..."

Either way, I agree, it was still amazing.

[lib_wit_it]

21. Did it say he attended the funeral of each soldier *who was from Mass,* and was

buried in either of those two places?

I heard it on the MSNBC special last night and wasn't sure.

[Control-Z]

23. Gosh, I don't know

what was said on MSNBC. From the article is simply stated. "He's gone to the funeral of every soldier who's come home from Iraq in a casket, whether it's up in Massachusetts or at Arlington Cemetery." That is all the information I've seen.

[lib_wit_it]

24. Well, when they got to the part you quote, I felt that I may have missed them earlier saying it was

just the ones from his home state. I'm not sure if I just questioned it because it seemed so incrediible that he could have gone to the funeral of every Terro War casualty.

[Control-Z]

25. I think I finally figured out the

Massachusetts part.

'But Kennedy supported the soldiers who served in Iraq, and their families -
especially those from his own state.'

It doesn't seem to me that they were excluding soldiers from other areas. That is my interpretation, at least.

[lib_wit_it]

26. I don't see another way to interpret that. What a guy! What a loss.

[Stephanie]

27. I think that's impossible - that's 4000 funerals, all over the country

It must mean service members from Massachusetts - which is amazing in itself. It looks like 64 from Massachusetts.

http://www.icasualties.org/Iraq/StateCity.aspx

[Control-Z]

28. Whichever it was,

I think we can all agree he was an amazing, compassionate man - and will be missed.

[Beaverhausen]

34. the sentence before the OP - from the link

"But Kennedy supported the soldiers who served in Iraq, and their families -
especially those from his own state. "

I believe it means the soldiers from MA.

[stevedeshazer]

43. I really respect him for that, given everything he had to deal with.

And credit is due our governor, Ted Kulongoski, who has attended all 71 funerals of Oregonians who died in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[Libertas1776]

4. The legend

and greatness of the man continues to grow. We truly have lost an American giant.

[NYC_SKP]

5. I still have insurance because of COBRA---Also due to Ted Kennedy's efforts.

""You cannot tick off everything he accomplished in the Senate just sitting here. It's forever. He did children's health, women's sports, AIDS, immigration," Stahl said. "

…COBRA, where if you change jobs you still get your insurance. I don't know how many health bills, how many education bills. Civil rights, the Voting Rights Act. Did I say minimum wage?"

From the OP link...

[peacetalksforall]

7. Does anyone have a link to the story about him working to get

prisoners taken in the Bay of Pigs released?

[sarge43]

10. Bless you, PFC Kennedy

Hand salute.

[Ocracoker16]

11. now he was a true patriot

Unlike many others like George W. Bush, Ted Kennedy didn't just talk about loving his country and flying his American flag. He really cared and he took the time to attend these funerals. He didn't take members of the press with cameras so he could be seen at these funerals. It wasn't ever about him.

[Echo In Light]

12. Rec

[JonLP24]

13. Really? All of them?

I only ask because I served with someone who died while our unit, 513th Trans was deployed from '06-'07.

Plenty of information here http://www.iraqwarheroes.com/bowmanl.htm as you'll notice the articles say " Killed in Baghdad, Iraq, when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device." Truth is it was on MSR Tampa south of Baghdad heading back towards Camp Arif Jan, Kuwait and the IED actually struck him and it was actually an EFP. The Up-armored M915A2's we drove could sustain most damage from an IED but an EFP (Explosive formed projectile) is especially deadly and can cut right through the armor and it hit the passenger side where he was sitting. The driver survived but has permanent damage to one of his legs.

I believe he was buried in North Carolina, his home state, but none of us attended the funeral as we were still deployed but It'd would be great to know if Teddy was in attendance. If not I don't blame him, even if he made just 50% of all the Soldier's funerals he is great man for doing so.

Off topic reading the articles posted at the link told me a lot about the news media in general. As someone who knows the whole story it is interesting to see how many facts they got wrong but ran with them anyways. Like how it happened in Baghdad when it didn't, how it was an IED when it was an EFP but it's the same thing in the general sense, and he wasn't driving, he was the passenger in the vehicle at the time.

[VMI Dem]

14. So, was he buried in Mass. or Arlington?

If so, Senator Kennedy was probably there.

[JonLP24]

16. North Carolina

From what I can remember, Hickory specifically. I just read that every soldier that came home in casket meaning everyone. I did see the quote whether it was in Massachusetts or Arlington he was there and I'm sure that he was. I know he was a very busy man and probably couldn't attend ones that got buried in their home state. Like I said he is a great man for attending the ones he could.

[dysfunctional press]

33. only the soldiers from massachusetts.

[JonLP24]

35. Caught that fact after I posted

It wasn't really clear in the article posted but from other posts others have mentioned this fact. Still an upstanding man for doing so.

Anyways :kick: for the thread.

[dysfunctional press]

37. definitely outstanding...

i wonder how many senators can say the same thing about attending the funerals of their constituent soldiers? :shrug:

[PSzymeczek]

38. But even at that,

it's more than W did.

[Control-Z]

49. One funeral would have been more

the W did. I hate him more than ever right now.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

52. Has Fuckface issued a statement?

Or is he going to ignore this death, too?

I mean, he did such a good job of ignoring all the dead soldiers and the dead Iraqis and Afghanis who are dead because of him........

[Control-Z]

57. I kind of think I would prefer he keep his mouth shut.

I'm sure to be less pissed off over no statement from him than whatever BS drivel he could conjure up. Seriously. I'm suffering a whole new wave of loathing right now.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

58. Yeah, I know exactly what you mean -

I hesitate even to ask, but I just wondered.

Interesting that, if he did, it passed without notice because he's such an insignificant little prick.

The longer he's gone, the more I hate him. I really thought it would be the other way around.

I was wrong. I had no idea I could hate like this...............................

[WolverineDG]

15. He insisted on sending out thank you cards

I was part of a "welcoming committee" last year when he made a campaign stop in my home town for Obama. A few days after the event, I received a card from his office & it was signed by him, not an autopen. It was personalized, joking about how we were probably cousins & how nice it was to have met each other. I later found out from one of the Obama campaign people that he insisted on having our names & addresses so he could send these out. Everyone on the committee got a card, similarly personalized.

He didn't know me from Adam. I have the political clout of a flea on good days. Yet he took the time to write me a note when he either could have sent nothing at all, or had it done by auto-pen. :cry:

dg

[BuelahWitch]

30. This is especially wonderful when you think of how sick he was

He still took the time to send a personal thank you. Lucky WolverineDG! :pals:

[mucifer]

17. Actually, in IL our new Governor Quinn has gone to all of the IL soldiers funerals

as Lt. Governor when he was under blago and now as Governor.

[Justice]

18. It is every Masschusetts soldier.

My parents sent a card to Ted Kennedy upon hearing of his cancer. They received a signed thank you card from him. That is remarkable to me.

Last year, we needed help with a piece of legislation. We called his office - (this was while he was sick). They said they needed to check with him but felt sure he would want to help. They did, and he was. They were incredibly responsive and helpful. I worry about them now - both personally and professionally.

[Raster]

19. I thought I was through crying. Obviously not.

[redqueen]

22. Same here.

I don't think we'll ever see another like him.

I hope I'm wrong...

[whistler162]

20. Surprising but not surprising in the same moment...

It is surprising that he took the time to honor the men and woman from his home state who died in the service of our country. But, not really surprising since he lost two siblings in World War II and knows of the families pain.

[G_j]

29. he cared, unlike the criminal he put them in harms way and

didn't attend their funerals.

[Joe Chi Minh]

31. I think he was trying to put over a message: that the equation was simple.

The slain men and women in the armed forces and his brothers were killed by the same people.

[1776Forever]

36. I believe you are right! The military industrial complex is Darth Vader in disguise!

[dysfunctional press]

32. every soldier from massachusetts, that is...

the line in the article that comes before the one quoted in the op is a pretty BIG qualifier-

"Kennedy supported the soldiers who served in Iraq, and their families -
especially those from his own state."

[applegrove]

39. I'm learning so much about Ted I didn't know. He was some sorta angel or something the

way he reached out to those in trouble or who suffered a loss. It really is amazing to read all this. Especially juxaposed with the GOP who are desperately trying to teach "uncompassion" to their followers.

[Control-Z]

40. I feel the same.

There was so much I didn't know about him. I am just more and more impressed by the life he lived, and saddened by the loss.

[applegrove]

41. I mean name me a Repuke who could come close to doing such great things every day. Impossible.

Repubs like that don't exist.

[Historic NY]

45. With "Ted" on your side you were never alone, never..

I've seen many reference to him and John Kerry showing up. They did overtime quietly to insure no Mass soldier or family was ever alone. It is hard to go to an Arlington funeral. I know a few there, only because they lived in my town. I once spent 3 days there getting aquainted with people. Amazingly, I find it a very peaceful place, built out of conflict Arlington tends to wrap around oneself protecting and coddling you during your visit. I suppose I will say Hi to Ted in May when spring is on the mantle. He would like that month its warm and the flowers really begin to bloom. I think I will bring him a flower if its allowed. I will sit a while with him. RIP Ted I will stop bye, you would do it for us.

[VPStoltz]

46. This man was absolutely amazing...

I heard a woman's story on Ed Schultz.
Her brother had worked for one of Ted's campaigns (or for Democrats in general) way back in the day.
Some ten years after he got out of politics and had started a business, he, his wife and five employees were murdered.
Ted Kennedy called the man's sister and nieces, etc. and talked to them for over a half hour.
How he even got the number, the woman had no idea.
It brought Ed Schultz to one of his very few speechless moments.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

48. He was remarkable, and he did it without fanfare -

This from an article at the CBS website:

The senator's commitment to children went beyond his own family.

For example, he met Jasmine Harrison at an inner-city school every week for four years to help her learn to read.

"I loved the sessions, because they were fun. He would act out what was going on in the book, and add voices. And it, you know, it was something I looked forward to," Harrison said.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/08/26/national/main5267991.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody

[Control-Z]

50. Wow!

Just wow. :wow: Again.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

51. It's called empathy.

Which should be a basic requirement for public service.

K&R

[gauguin57]

53. I also heard a 9/11 widow interviewed who said he was always there for her ... from Day 1.

... she said when she was feeling like everyone else had forgotten about her and her family, Teddy would call them up and ask if they wanted to go sailing.

[Control-Z]

54. I so wish I could have met him,

talked to him, known him. I would love to have had him as my father, uncle, or friend. It must be outstanding to have known him. The Kennedy family has suffered tremendous tragedy, but they have also had the love, comfort, and guidance of a very special man. Actually, several special men.

[defendandprotect]

56. Didn't know that - amazing!! Also, I don't think that many know that . . .

neither John nor Teddy accepted a salary -- !!

Believe that was still true to the last -- ???

[Control-Z]

60. Another wow!

Are you serious? I'd never heard that. I'm once again moved.

And like someone said up thread, he served without fanfare.

I think I'm going to make a list of everything I've learned about Senator Kennedy since he passed away. Maybe it will be something I can shove in the face of my republican acquaintances. People need to know just how great a man he really was.

[defendandprotect]

62. Yes . . . at the time . . .

of John Kennedy's nomination, the family's wealth was somewhat controversial --

and I'm not sure if JFK made that announcement before or after the election, but

that was what he did.

Again, I've not heard it recently discussed, but it was also true of Ted Kennedy.

OTOH, keep in mind that Nixon was sponsored by Prescott Bush and GOP gang and their

agreement with Nixon was that over and above his Congressional salary they would

supply him with a slush fund. Of course, all denied.

[defendandprotect]

59. k i c k